International Mother Language Day

This event is an observance held annually on the 21st of February internationally to contribute the awareness of linguistics, cultural diversity and multilingualism. It was first announced by UNESCO, also has formally recognized by United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2008 its observance as International Year of Languages, pursuant to a resolution of UNESCO.

The observance is to address issues of linguistics diversity, respect for all languages, and multilingualism which has became official, launched and made it known as International Mother Language Day.

People may not realize how important it is because the aim of observance is to promote the unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism. Commemoration is a vital part of this event because many people either violently or peacefully demonstrated for recognition of their mother tongue language. Many people sacrifice their life for their native language is one of great significance among their native identity.

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Language Revolution Day, also referring to Language Martyrs' Day is a Bengali national day to commemorate protests and sacrifices to protect Bengali as a national language, in the same time they were vehemently mistreated by the government. The protests were organized by the students from University of Dhaka, Dhaka Medical College and other political activists, they were outraged by the governor who said "Urdu and only Urdu will be the national language of Pakistan". Police fired on the innumerable protesters, including prominent activists Adbus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Sofiur Rahman, Abul Barkat and Abdul Jabbar, unfortunately they were brutally killed by Pakistani authorities in the year of 1952. Although, fortunately they spread the movement across the eastern Pakistani regions, afterwards the government relented and finally gave Bengali equal status as a national language.

Linguistics discrimination, rectifying the term 'linguicism' or 'languagism' is a unfair treatment of an individual based solely on their use of language, it is something we didn't really notice or aware of the history of linguicism and there is a lack of media attention about it.

Spain under Franco, or Francoist Spain is an unforgettable period in the Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, no Spaniards would dare to speak about the authoritarian dictator Francisco Franco, just like Germans do not keen to talk about Adolf Hitler. Get back with the linguistic point, he abolished the official statute and recognition for the Basque, Galician and Catalan languages were granted by Second Spanish Republic for the first time in the history of Spain, and made Spanish as the only official language of the state. The legal usage of languages other than Spanish was forbidden, any of those languages written in all government, notarial, legal and commercial documents were deemed null and void.  Even it was forbidden to teach in schools, publicizing, advertising, religious ceremonies and so on. If people of Basque, Galician or Catalan want to speak their native language, they have to be discreet otherwise they would be severely punished by authorities.

Kurdish language remained banned, usually being discriminated and marginalized by non-Kurds in Syria and Turkey. Only country legalized Kurdish as an official language since March 1970 autonomy agreement  between the Kurdish oppositions and the Iraqi government. Until August 2002, the Turkish government eased the restrictions, however the public usage of Kurdish is still severely restricted, especially in politics, educational institutions (except private ones) and broadcast media with certain exceptions. The Kurdish alphabet is not recognized, such as X, W and Q which is not existed in Turkish alphabet. On the other hand, Syrian government forbids people to publish material in Kurdish otherwise they would have a serious consequence with authorities.